"That was the furthest thing from my mind," Poile said during the first day of training camp Thursday at Bridgestone Arena. "All the concern was with Austin, (his girlfriend) and the baby, whatever we could do to help improve their lives and their situation.

"I couldn't care less about the suspension."

Henry added that "whether it was four games or 400 games, the number ... never meant anything to us."

Watson's suspension will cost him more than $360,000 of his $1.1 million salary. He will miss the preseason and won't be eligible to return until Dec. 3 against the Buffalo Sabres, unless his punishment is reduced.

The NHL Players' Association plans to appeal the punishment on Watson's behalf, which means an impartial arbitrator will hear the case and issue a decision within 30 days of that hearing, according to the league's collective bargaining agreement.

Austin Watson will be around

Watson will be allowed to practice with the team and use the Predators' facilities during his suspension, but he won't occupy a place on the active roster.

Predators captain Roman Josi was the only player to address Watson, though the entire team – save for Watson – was present at the beginning of the press conference.

"As a team we do no condone domestic violence and will continue as a team to fully support AMEND (Together) and end violence against women," Josi said, referring to the program targeted at men and boys that seeks to end domestic violence. "We also respect the league's ruling. We want to support (Austin, his girlfriend and their baby) as much as we can."

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Roman Josi, the captain of the Nashville Predators, spoke for the team in a press conference about the 27-game suspension for Austin Watson.
Nashville Tennessean

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman called Watson's behavior "unacceptable," and the Predators said they "supported and worked closely" with the league during its investigation.

"We're facing this head on," Henry said. "We're not hiding from it. Even though it sounds like I'm contradicting myself, we're supporting the league's decision and Austin (and his girlfriend). And we're continuing our fight against violence against women. It's wrong. We know it."

The Slava Voynov case

Watson's case is without much precedent.

Unlike the NFL, MLB and the NBA, the NHL does not have a policy on domestic violence.

Slava Voynov, a former defenseman for the Kings, has been suspended by the NHL since October 2014 after he was arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic violence, like Watson, after he was accused of choking, punching and kicking his wife.

His $25 million contract was voided. He most recently played in the KHL in Russia.

This summer, Voynov completed his punishment, which included almost two months in jail, community service and three years' probation. He can apply for reinstatement to the NHL.

The league said recently it is investigating Voynov's case and that Bettman had met with Voynov this summer. But a timetable remains uncertain.

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The Nashville Predators held a press conference following the NHL's 27-game suspension give to Austin Watson.
Nashville Tennessean

Next in line

The Predators will count on players such as Ryan Hartman and Zac Rinaldo to fill in for Watson on the ice.